The present invention relates, in general, to assemblies and methods for restraining cargo movement in transport vehicles, and more particularly, relates to barrier, wall or partition assemblies which limit the movement of cargo in the cargo storage spaces of transport vehicles and the methods by which such barrier assemblies are mounted to and used in such transport vehicles.
On the order of one-half of the motor vehicles sold in the United States today are trucks or sport utility vehicles (SUVs). In addition, many of these vehicles, as well as many passenger cars, mini-vans and the like, are equipped to tow trailers. Thus, today""s consumers generally regard the ability to transport cargo of various descriptions as a highly desired feature.
Trucks, SUVs and trailers all typically include a generally horizontally oriented cargo supporting surface or bed that is surrounded by generally vertically oriented side walls, which together define the cargo space of the transport vehicle. Usually one or more of the side walls is movable to provide better access to the cargo space, and most typically the aft wall or tailgate of the transport vehicle can be lowered to provide such access.
Cargo box bed liners also are in widespread use as a result of the proliferation of pickup trucks, mini-vans and sport utility vehicles. Such bed liners originally were intended to protect the cargo box of the transport vehicle from being damaged during loading and unloading of cargo. More recently, however, such bed liners have also included structures which enable cargo restraint.
The least complex of such cargo restraining bed liners merely provide non-skid surfaces, such as found in the bed liners of U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,570,921 and 5,803,531. Bed liners also may include tailgate padding panels which are supported by the original equipment tailgate, such may be found in U.S. Pat No. 5,722,710.
Restraint or limitation of the lateral movement of cargo within the four walls of a cargo space using cargo restraining bed liners also has been undertaken. Thus, bed liners which are grooved or pocketed and are used with cooperatively formed, plug-in type, cargo restraining members are well known. Typical of such system are the devices of U.S. Pat Nos. 5,131,709, 5,549,428, 5,599,055, 5,655,863, 5,673,956, 5,788,309 and 5,788,310. This type of plug-in cargo restraint approach also has even been used on floor mats for automobiles. See, for example, U.S. Pat No. 4,222,695.
A common problem encountered with plug-in cargo restraining systems is the problem of what to do with the plug-in members when they are not in use. The existence of a multiplicity of unconnected components or parts creates tedious storage and handling problems.
The volume required for storage of such plug-in components also can be an issue since they preferably are carried by the transport vehicle when not in use. Moreover, since bed liners were originally developed to protect the cargo area of a vehicle from damage, the grooved or pocketed bed liners themselves can become damaged, with a resultant impairment of areas in the bed liner to which plug-in restraining components can be secured.
As used herein, the expression xe2x80x9ctransport vehiclexe2x80x9d shall include motor vehicles, such as pickups, SUVs, vans, automobiles, buses, commercial trucks, watercraft, aircraft, trains, even golf carts, and equivalent motored vehicles used to transport cargo, as well as towed or unpowered cargo carriers, such as trailers and barges and equivalent unpowered vehicles used to transport cargo.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a cargo restraining barrier assembly and method for use in a transport vehicle, and a transport vehicle employing the same, in which a movable cargo restraining barrier is provided that can be easily stowed in the cargo space in a compact configuration.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a stowable cargo restraining barrier assembly and method for a transport vehicle which can be readily installed as an after-market product.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a stowable cargo restraining barrier assembly which has fewer components and is easier to store and use than conventional transport vehicle cargo restraining systems, such as, bed liners with plug-in restraining components.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a cargo restraining barrier assembly and method which will not impede cargo loading or unloading, can restrain cargo inwardly of the cargo space defining side walls, is durable and is relatively inexpensive to construct.
The stowable transport vehicle barrier assembly, vehicle and method of the present invention have other objects and features which will become apparent from, or are described in more detail in, the following description of the Best Mode of Carrying Out the Invention and the accompanying drawing.
The present invention provides a stowable, movable or retractable cargo restraining barrier assembly, a transport vehicle having such barrier assembly, and a method for its use.
The stowable barrier assembly most preferably is incorporated into a bed liner structure for a cargo space or cargo box of a transport vehicle. The barrier assembly includes a securement structure, such as the bed liner, formed for mounting of the cargo restraining barrier device to the vehicle proximate a cargo space of the transport vehicle, and a cargo restraining barrier device. The barrier device preferably takes the form of a movable barrier support structure, such as an axle or spindle, on which a flexible sheet-like barrier member is mounted in a rolled up condition. The axle preferably is mounted in a barrier housing which is movable by pivoting into and out of a barrier storage cavity in the bed liner. The barrier housing, therefore, swings up out of the bed liner storage cavity and into the cargo space before unrolling of the barrier member from the rotatably mounted axle. Associated with the axle is a spring biasing mechanism that applies tension to and retracts the flexible barrier member by rolling it up, window-shade fashion, around the axle. Mechanical couplers releasably couple the flexible barrier member in a deployed position. With the barrier member deployed and secured, movement of cargo in the cargo space may be limited.
In another embodiment a plurality of barrier devices are secured proximate the cargo space for deployment to positions limiting movement of cargo in the cargo space. The barrier devices again are most preferably flexible sheets which can be retracted into a bed liner. The plurality of barrier members can be coupled to cooperate with each other in their deployed positions to limit cargo movement.
If desired, the bed liner structure may be eliminated, and the barrier device mounted directly to the cargo bed of the transport vehicle by the securement structure. Moreover, in a further embodiment the axle is rotatable but not pivoted so that the flexible barrier member is simply unrolled directly from the bed liner storage cavity.
The method of the present invention comprises, briefly, the steps of mounting a barrier device to the transport vehicle proximate the cargo space, selectively moving the barrier device between a stowed position and a deployed position, and securing the barrier device in the deployed position limiting movement of cargo. Most preferably, the mounting step is accomplished by mounting a bed liner structure in the cargo space of the vehicle, with the bed liner carrying a flexible barrier member stowed in a rolled up condition. The moving step is most preferably accomplished by pivoting an axle carrying the flexible barrier member from a barrier storage cavity in the bed liner structure into the cargo space, and then, unrolling the flexible barrier member from the axle to a deployed position and securing it as deployed. Alternatively, the axle may be rotatably mounted directly to the bed liner and the flexible barrier member unrolled directly from the bed liner to enable securement around a piece of cargo.